Watch Over Me
by EaglesFeather17
Summary: Cardverse AU:Under the rule of the last king the Kingdoms of Hearts had caused much despair and death among the bordering monarchies. After most of his family had died, lonely and hopeless crown prince Ludwig is burdened with the extremely difficult duty to redeem his country. What he doesn't know is that a demon-like creature is seeking for ways to change his life for the better.
1. Chapter 1

_I don't own Hetalia_

Cardverse AU

 **Watch Over Me**

Once upon a time in a magical faraway land, there were four royal siblings. Their parents, the King and Queen of the vast land, which included snowy mountains, thick forests, soft meadows and uncountable islands, loved their four children so much that they decided to end the circle of only the eldest inheriting the whole country, since they loved their children equally.

Once the monarchs grew old and tired, they divided their land into four parts. They spent years trying to find the best balance between the quality and the size of the land, so that none of their children would receive the biggest share with the most prosperous soil. After many twists and turns, the pair had found a solution.

The eldest inherited the largest, but most scraggy part, the mountains, where it could get so cold, a person would freeze to death with one breath.

The second oldest gained the most fertile soil, but his part was mostly land-locked. The third child had direct access to the sea and his kingdom was medium-sized, but he had to share two long borders with the lands of his elder siblings.

The youngest child recieved the smallest country, but his was quite prosperous. Furthermore, with its many islands he had the best control of the sea which connected the four kingdoms.

The parents permitted them to give their kingdoms a name and determine a capital each. Ever since their founding, the Kingdoms of Clubs, Diamonds, Spades and Hearts existed next to each other in harmony and equality. Despite the close connection between the nations, the people started to identify more and more with their home countries and distinct cultures developed.

As time passed, the friendly relationships between the kingdoms became more strained, so that the solution was found to marry into other royal houses.

Thus, the heritable position of solitary King received back-up from the gainable positions of Queen and Jack, none of those were attached to a gender, even men could become Queens.

But destiny also had her hand in the game. Sometimes, she decided who would become the next Queen, Jack, or in very rare cases, also King. Destiny made her decisions noticeable by changing the Mark of the Kingdom each citizen bore. Most people, or at least very religious people, worshiped destiny by giving her the name of Joker.

Predominantly, the people of Clubs and Spades believed that their patron saint was the Black Joker, whereas the citizens of Diamonds and Hearts believed her to be the Red Joker. Nevertheless, the Jokers were also feared. The people thought if they didn't sacrifice enough and kept their gods satisfied, they could bring mischief across the country and wreak havoc and harm. They thought fate could play tricks on them and make their lives miserable.

Soon, the saying arose that the King of each country had direct access to the Jokers and negotiated with them. This, of course, was an old folklore which gave the heads of state much more power than they actually possessed. Some citizens even thought that their Kings were the real protectors of their lands and defended them from the Jokers. These groups of people then invented a riddle which summed up their beliefs.

The King of Hearts who has Love

The King of Diamonds who has Wealth

The King of Clubs who has Luck

The King of Spades who has Power

This story is about two brothers who lost themselves in the net of fantasy and had to find a way back to each other.

* * *

It took three heavy knocks on his solid oak door to rip him out of his thoughts. With an audible gasp, the young man faced the door and attempted to make himself look presentable. Even though he was fully clothed, his perfectionist side never rested. After straightening his long velvet red cape and adjusting his buttoned jacket, the blond allowed the person on the other side of the door to enter.

"Come in.", he said, with a much-suppressed sigh. Today was a very stressful day for him. In a few hours he would ascend the throne of Hearts and be the head of state until his death. He would be the next King of this country which had a, let's say, _interesting_ history.

The woman pushed the door open and immediately addressed the young man in the center of the room. Ludwig liked Erzsébet a lot, she was very nice and always gave people a piece of her mind when she disagreed with them, she impressed the young prince quite a bit. This woman was fierce and brave, but also gentle and kind to the ones she cared about. Like him, for instance.

"Ludwig!", the woman in the green dress addressed him happily, but as soon as she saw the depressed expression of the future King, she herself faltered a bit and asked "Are you excited? Maybe a bit nervous?"

Ludwig swallowed and fumbled at his collar. Why were all these clothes so stuffy and hot? "A bit. Maybe.", he croaked. The lady smiled and wrapped him in a hug, ruffling his combed hair. Sometimes, people did wonder how she became Queen of Clubs with her manners. Ludwig appreciated the gesture nonetheless. "You will do wonderfully, your parents would be so proud!", she encouraged.

His parents. Sadly, his father died as soon as Ludwig was born, and his mother had not been well ever since. After also his elder brother deceased, or rather disappeared, his mother could not bear the fate, and this gave her the rest. All his family had left Ludwig alone on this earth and dumped the responsibilities of kingship on him.

Luckily, he had some friends who helped him out, such as his cousin Roderich and his wife Erzsébet, Kiku and Feliciano. The latter two had also run the kingdom as Queen and Jack, until Ludwig came of age, which was today. Happy Birthday…

Erzsébet let go off him, but held him at arm's length, grinning broadly with a nostalgic look on her face. "If only Gilbert could see you now…" Ludwig wasn't sure if the glistening tears in her eyes were of sadness or joy. It could be both.

The woman straightened and flopped her arms to her sides, changing the topic. "Well, if you need anything, Roddy and I will be right here for you. We will probably be in the gardens until the ceremony starts." Ludwig just nodded, not really paying attention. He had other thoughts which were occupying his mind.

The Queen was aware of Ludwig's helplessness in social situations and could read him quite well. With a fond smile, she reached for the door handle and stepped into the hall. "Really, sweetie, we all support you. You can ask us all for help, if you would just-" shaking her head, she cut herself off, but the Prince could clearly understand her mumbled words. "Sometimes you are just too much like your brother."

Freeing her out of the awkward situation, Ludwig thanked the woman, who left in turn, and stepped to the large bay window in his chamber. Through the window, he stared down at the glittering sea, with faint islands on the horizon, behind which he imagined the shores of Spades.

People from far and near were dismounting from expensive looking ships, but the future King cared more for the townsfolk who had taken long journeys to see him and congratulate him. Hopefully, he would not disappoint them somehow. He had a legacy to live up to after all.

With a new-found idea, the prince scrambled out of his room, ran down countless halls and turns, hoping he would not meet anyone on his way (what would the people think if they saw their King running and looking like a stressed rabbit?). Luckily, he did not even see guards or any servants, he assumed they were rechecking if everything was in order or were greeting the guests (and making sure there were not any assassinations planned on the visiting royals).

With a large step, the young man shut the double doors of the drawing room and turned the key in the lock. The satisfying click permitted the man to breathe, to calm his pained nerves. He was safe. He was alone. The room was not the actual drawing room of the castle, but rather almost a vault. Ludwig heard his shoes making click sounds on the clear marble floor as he stepped around and admired how the rays of sunlight illuminated the countless crowns the room contained.

Each crown was positioned on a pristine velvet pillow on a stone pillar and covered by a glass globe, put into position to let their whole beauty and might resemble the era of their deceased owners. On the walls, right behind the crown jewels, hung portraits of all of Hearts' Kings throughout history between hanging drapes. The serenity of the room's atmosphere calmed Ludwig down and he felt at ease.

The Prince looked to the right and saw the portrait and crown of King William I, the founder of Hearts. He had a ridiculously large mustache, which had almost always made Ludwig chuckle the countless times he had been there. He passed other crowns and more and more Kings, until he passed his father's. His father's crown was as traditional as possible, the used metals being mainly gold and a little bit of silver. The gemstones were rubies and diamonds and the fur lines were mink.

Subconsciously, the young man touched the fur of his own cape and stroked it. With a sigh he looked up, right into the stern grey eyes of his father. He was standing in front of a wall with ornate wallpaper, the featured room of the painting was still looking like then, Ludwig noticed. The drawn man was wearing expensive clothes, fit for royalty, he would say. Looking as determined and stoic as ever, the former King was clutching the side of his meter-long red cape, which was by far the most traditional cloth of the Kingdom.

His father had always liked to keep his hair long and flowy, sometimes even braided, giving him a natural appearance. Though, most of his friends had teased him, saying he looked rather "barbaric" with his natural hair, whereas they kept their powdered wigs in a braid or decorated with a bow. How pretentious some people were, Ludwig thought shaking his head. Gilbert always said his hair looked "girlish" instead, riling his father up more than those people ever could.

The prince snapped his head to the next crown, this one looking quite out of place. He took a step forward and sat on the floor, using his cape as pillow (that piece of clothing must have had some use). Ludwig gazed up and for a moment got lost in the hypnotizing radiance of the sunlight reflected by the dark gemstones. From form to color, this crown had little to no resemblance to all others in the room.

Instead of gold, it was used silver. Instead of diamonds, black gemstones were tipping the edges of the piece. Instead of the round forms of the common crowns, this King's crown was sharp, and its edges looked like mountains rising from a dark cloud, the stark black fur lining. The only resemblance, was a clear heart-shaped ruby in the front, which was standing out a lot more against the black background of the metal.

With a sad smile, the Prince's eyes wandered upward, and he looked at the portrait of his brother. The featured King himself differed from the others just as much as his crown. The young man was sitting casually on his throne, his legs crossed and hands caressing a scepter. His clothes were a stark red and black, darkening the atmosphere of the oil painting and highlighting his unhealthy-looking white skin. His head was leaning to the side, making a part of his spiky white hair fall the same way. Most people would be scared, or at least made uneasy by the sinister smile, which was revealing his canine-like teeth and by his demonic red eyes.

"Oh, Gilbert, I miss you so much." The prince sighed, what seemed to be the thousandth time that day. Hopefully, he would not have to make a habit out of it. "I wish you were here. You could support me and tell me where I go wrong. I just feel so unprepared, I cannot be King, I am scared of the future and of the responsibilities my "job" is attached to." Feeling more secured und less self-conscious about his conversation with a painting, the prince grew more confident and the words seemed to fall out of his mouth on their own.

"How can I live up to you, you were so great. You made Hearts much richer than ever before and expanded our land, even if it made the other kingdoms hate you. I know that some things you did were not correct, or justified, such as somehow managing to abolish the Reign of Three. You know, historians are still puzzling over how you passed the law that made Hearts' Queen and Jack "illegal" to put it into your words. But, were your Queen and Jack so bad? I don't remember them, I was too young. My Queen Kiku and Jack Feliciano are quite nice, and I dare call them my friends. The other Kingdoms reintroduced the Reign of Three after the end of The War of Cards, after you…", he swallowed "die- disappeared. Mother died shortly after."

A gloved thumb cleared his eyes off the salty water. "A lot has happened after you were gone. For instance, Spades got a new King, Alfred, he is just slightly older than me. He was chosen by the Red Joker, it was his destiny to become King. He was a commoner; can you believe that?" He looked at his brother with the expectation of disapproval, but got none. Realizing he was just talking to a painting, a blush rose to his cheeks and he looked to the floor.

"Sometimes, I do wonder how life would be if we had not been a royal family, but maybe bakers? I like baking. If we had just lived on a farm, far away from the castle and went just about our own business. Maybe the stress of being King would have not made you sick and maybe then you would still be here."

"Those were the worst days of my life. The war was raging just beyond our borders and mother and I had to look on how you were wasting away. Even the best doctors from all kingdoms could not identify what was causing you harm. I guess the first mental kick in the gut for me was when you were starting to get slower and were out of breath much, _much_ faster than usual. We were playing catch together, remember? And one afternoon, I was running up that hill in the back of the castle, near the lake, and I just heard panting behind me and it was you leaning against a lantern. I was concerned and asked you about it, but you just coughed in the back of your hand and told me "Don't worry, Luddy. Now, let's race back to the castle". I thought you were fine, but, but why did you lie to me?!" The blond drove a hand through his hair and exhaled. He was getting way into this.

"I only noticed that you were not fine, when about two weeks after that incident, the doctor gave you that cane to walk with. Don't think I didn't notice how you lost your swagger more and more each day, no matter how hard you tried to hide it from me. The walls do have ears and mouths, you know. And then, shortly after, you were bed-ridden. Only propped-up by pillows you were exhausted even when just lying there. You were wheezing and coughing, and no one knew how to help you! It was horrible. You never said anything about your health, ever."

Ludwig held his head in his head, shaking it slightly. "That one time when it was important to know about how you were doing, that one time it was important to hear about you, you just didn't say anything. Why couldn't you have bragged then about yourself?"

"We spent one last evening together. You told the servants to fetch me and then leave. I stood in the doorway, uncertain if I should enter. You encouraged me by moving over in your enormous bed. Even if there was enough space to begin with, you patted the free spot beside you. I appreciated the gesture more than you know. So, I came up to you, scrambling on your bed, to your side. For a long time, you were just holding me, and I gave in to your embrace."

"Then, you spoke up, your voice raspier than ever before. You sounded like a stranger, like someone giving up. I would have never imagined this description would one day apply to you, you have never given up. You even taught me not to give up. You said "I guess that's it. I am proud of you, Luddy. Make sure to show the world what you're made of." I was too young to know what the words "I guess that's it" meant. I did not expect them to mean that you would just disappear overnight. The next day, you were just _gone_. No trace whatsoever. After years of looking for you, you were declared dead."

"Mother could not bear it any longer. At first it was father who left her for Heaven and then there was your peculiar "death". People said, the Red Joker must have (finally) gotten you. She couldn't move on. Well, and now, there is just me. Next in line for the throne of Hearts. Oh dear…"

A moment of silence passed in which the Prince gathered his thoughts. "You had many admirers. The people of your Kingdom worshipped you like a god. Some nobles found it really surprising to see that despite your erm, self-centered attitude you cared for your people and raised their living standards considerately in the brief time you reigned."

"It was the simple folk you counted on the most. That was smart and well thought through to implement your plans of expanding Hearts. But you also made enemies, especially the nobles from all kingdoms were mostly opposed to you. First of all, because you denied them the desired positions of Queen and Jack of Hearts- " Ludwig smiled as he looked at the grinning face on the portrait. It seemed to him as if the painted man was aware of his actions in the past and remembered them with humor.

"And then, of course the Kings, Queens and Jacks who did not appreciate you diminishing their kingdoms. Although, as I have gathered, Queen Arthur secretly admired you, even though he accused you of warmongery. Roderich and Erzsébet didn't care much either, since they were still thankful for you managing to give Roderich the position of Jack of Clubs, so that Erzsébet didn't have to go there alone and live with your nemesis Ivan."

"I still don't know why Ivan's parents wanted him to marry her especially and why Erzsébet's parents agreed with it, I thought they liked Roderich as son-in-law. But here in Hearts she would have not had any perspective to climb the social ladder. Wait, why did you not just make her your Queen? She is not that bad. And you were friends, somehow." Only his brother's sinister face answered him.

"Oh, I see, you knew that if you made her Queen, Roderich would have pestered you to no end and be jealous as heck. He would have been as annoying as he could be and then you would have given in. No matter how stubborn you were, Roderich has his ways to mush people with his personality. So, if he had become Jack, you three would have worked much closer together and I can imagine you feared Erzsébet would have always sided with her lover and you would have had no say anymore in kingdom affairs. You probably didn't want the constant Roderich-ness around you and shipped both off to another kingdom to let them and yourself live in peace, even if it meant to negotiate with King Ivan."

"I knew you were mischievous but not that manipulative.", he chuckled. A few moments passed when just sat there, a future King, sitting cross-legged on the floor, talking to a deceased person on a painting and chuckling to himself remembering shared experiences.

With a heavy sigh, the man stood up and adjusted his cape, which had become quite mess of fabric behind him. "Wish me luck, brother. And watch over me." He fished out his necklace from under his jacket and raised the cross pendant to his lips, kissing the iron softly. "I will come talk to you once the coronation and the festivities are over." With a pat on the glass globe, which contained his brother's crown and a respectful nod towards the painting, the Prince turned around and left the gallery, shutting the double doors softly.

What the Heir didn't notice, were the two translucent figures which were peering through one of the many windows. The hand that stroked the glass where the Prince just left through the doors, belonged to a floating man with a teary expression on his face.

"Are you crying?", a boyish voice piped up next to him, giving him a toothy smile.

"No, brat. Those are signs of awesome." The man shook his head changing the topic. "Isn't he just brilliant?", referring to the person they had been watching the whole time.

"If you care so much about him, why don't you just go talk to him?", the boy asked.

The elder rolled his eyes but tried not to look too annoyed. "Shaddup, kid. You know I can only talk to him as soon as he is King." A smirk tucked at the taller man's face and mischievously he reminded his friend something. "Now, we have a spell to prepare!" Grinning, the boy flew after his elder into the forests.

"Finally!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Sooooo, this is chapter 1 already! I have worked on this story for longer that I would like to admit because it means a lot to me. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. I just adore Hetalia AUs especially Cardverse, there are so many possibilities for a fanfiction! It's like, having some kind of guidelines, but at the same time you can invent the characters' backgrounds however you want and you can build on the existence of magic quite well.

Hopefully, you like my work and might give me some feedback. Thank you so much, I love you!

English is NOT my native language


	2. Chapter 2

I still don't own Hetalia. XD

* * *

The two men landed underneath a thick drape of leaves, the crown of the trees not letting any of the sunshine from above through. On the ground, it was gloomy, perfect for secret actions. The taller man turned around as soon as his now visible feet touched the mossy earth. He smirked, his vampire-like edge teeth showing. "I remember putting it here somewhere…" With swift moves he tossed branches aside and rummaged in the piles of leaves starting to rot on the ground.

The boy behind him peered over his shoulder with interest. "What are you looking for again?", he questioned.

The kneeling man's head turned around incredulously, facing the short boy with gleaming red eyes. "Are you serious?! We discussed the plan a few hours ago! Sometimes I do understand why your family kicked you out."

"Oh, I remember, sorry!", even though he actually did not know what his partner was looking for, he backed away from him and sat down on a tree stump, wounded, quietly tousling the leaves with his foot. Sometimes, the man was really scary and looked more like a demon than a patron saint. Even to him, his closet person in the land, he sometimes behaved like a strict and ruthless commander.

The blond boy's attention was aroused by a relieved exclaim of the other man. "Here it is! That was close." With a dulled thud, he positioned an old caldron in front of the boy. Its rim was rusted, and it looked rather plain. The young boy had seen finer kitchen utensils in his life. "What's wrong, Peter?", the white-haired man asked concerned.

Blushing, Peter stood up and shyly dusted off his pants. His sad and scolded expression had obviously not been hidden as well as he had thought. Because of his lack of an answer, the man let out a bark of laughter that would have scared masses of people away. "Kid, you know that I easily lose my temper, especially when I'm stressed. Don't take it to heart."

"Sorry…", he mumbled. Changing the topic from his lack of memory, he pointed to the cauldron. "What is that for again?"

"This, my little accomplice, is our gateway to a future without pain." His bony white fingers glided over the metal as if it were a treasure of unimaginable worth. "It was stressful enough to even get this dented thingy, but we are still not ready. We need some more ingredients." The red-eyed man produced a roll of parchment from thin air and blew away the red smoke it had appeared with. With a devilish smirk, he uncoiled it and revealed a list of notes written in black ink. Luckily, the man read it out so that Peter didn't have to try to decipher his chicken scratch.

"Well, I already have the four frog legs, the Gem of Cards- that was totally hard to get by the way, I had to battle a huge snow monster with incredibly sharp teeth- "

"That must have been a challenge for you, with magical powers and all." Peter remarked sarcastically, interlacing his arms with a huff.

"- but I managed it easily, because I'm awesome- then we have the Riddle of the Past, some old guy gave it to me, I must have given him a heart attack or something- "

"I wonder how…"

"Now, that is enough of your puberty boldness and your jealous remarks! And finally, we have the flowers from Diamonds. All that is left to get is fresh seawater and the leaves from Clubs' Fir Tree of Something, we will know which one it is when we see it. These ingredients have to be fresh to work, but our time is running out, so I have to get going."

"Can I help, Gilbert?" Peter asked innocently. He wanted to help Gilbert fulfill his plans that would make both of them, or at least Gilbert, happy. And when he was happy, so was Peter. The pale man meant more to the little boy than he knew. Peter could still remember the day, when his family kicked him out of their home. They had abandoned him and let him live on the streets of Spades, expecting him to provide for himself. They had always told him he was a nuisance and had never even belonged to them. He had been an orphan they had taken pity on; his real parents hadn't even had the nerve to raise him until he was not a nursling anymore. His foster parents took care of him until he was twelve and then left him on the streets.

There he had lived for a few weeks when suddenly, a burning pain kicked in. Peter could still clearly remember how he clutched his right shoulder, where he bore the Mark of the Kingdom of Spades. He passed out shortly after that, only to wake up in a cave-like room on a soft bed. With curiosity, he had regarded the white-haired man in front of him, in the black, goth-like clothes and weird red-tinted horns growing out of the sides of his head and -was that a tail?! Since then, the man who had introduced himself as Gilbert, had been like a brother to him. He taught him the responsibilities of being a Joker and how to use magic only they possessed. Moreover, he took care of him, fed him and gave him all attention one expected of a good big brother. But, despite how much attention he gave him and how many games they played together, Peter knew little to nothing about Gilbert's past. And this made him think he had to make Gilbert trust him more by being responsible.

In response to his question, Gilbert regarded him with mixed emotions on his usually so careless face. "Of course, you can! I would never manage without your help!" He stepped towards him and ruffled the boy's already messy hair. It was soft to the touch and almost the same color as Ludwig's- The white-haired man didn't like in which direction his train of thought was heading. Soon they could reunite. Soon they would.

"Really?! You trust me with this task?", the young boy bounced in joy, feeling exhilarated.

Gilbert chuckled, but tried to suppress the forced ring it had to it. "Yeah, you must learn how to be more responsible, you are going to be an adult soon, after all!" It was painful to lie, but how could he tell the child he would never grow up? That he would never reach adulthood and be respected as such? Other people would age, but destiny was not gentle to them in the long run. She might have saved his life but was this, the existence they were caught in, really more preferable to life with an infinite end?

"Well let's get going, kid, we have no time to lose! Would you rather stay here and get the water or freeze your butt off in Clubs?"

"I guess I'll stay here!" Peter chuckled with childish laughter. "You won't even have to use the spell of invisibility in Clubs, you would not be seen in all that white snow!", he added cheekily.

"Alright that's it! I'll get you!", with the agility of a tiger, the older men leaped onto the boy and tickled him.

"G-Gilbert, STOP!", the boy screamed during his hearty laughter and moved his arms, as well as his legs, aimlessly in the air, hoping they would make his attacker let go of him.

"Oh, no, you have to learn your lesson, no one insults the King of Hear- the Awesome Me and gets away with it!" Now was not the time to enlighten the boy of his past, he would tell him when all this was over and done with. They did have time enough. With a friendly slap on the boy's bottom, Gilbert stood up and waited until Peter on the ground had recovered from his laughter. His face was flushed and his were cheeks bright pink from the lack of oxygen.

"I hope this has sharpened your senses, since this is a very important mission." Gilbert, now serious scolded.

"I won't disappoint you!", Peter called, sitting up. "Don't worry, I have it all under control!"

With one last glance full of expectation, and a swish of his black devil-like tail, the red-eyed man disappeared into thin air.

* * *

The Red Joker opened his eyes again and starred into white emptiness. After blinking a few times, the man noticed the uncountable snowflakes which surrounded him, dancing like ballerinas in the wind. Though, it was a very aggressive dance, considering that Gilbert stood more likely in a blizzard than in a soft breeze. Biting coldness crept up his legs and the tips of his fingers started to turn red, like his nose and ears. Small crystals smacked in his face, also brightening his pale complexion. With an annoyed groan, Gilbert put a warming spell on himself, which should protect him from the harshness of the wintery kingdom.

The albino took in his surroundings and noticed that he had appeared close to the slope of the mountain he was standing on. He sighed in relief, one step further and could have gotten seriously hurt, although, he didn't even know if his condition, or rather occupation as Joker allowed him to get injured. Probably not. There were still so many mysteries he had yet to find the answers to.

But, as he was short on time, Gilbert squinted to make out the faint outlines of a seemingly never-ending fir tree forest. This was like looking for a needle in a haystack. How could he find the special Fir Tree of God-Knows-What? Even during his preparation time, he had not found any clues of the whereabouts of that unique tree, but time was running out! He had to find the tree as fast as he could!

Using his magical powers, Gilbert floated towards the forest, but where should he look first? He landed on soft snow, which covered the forest grounds. The trees themselves looked like being frozen in time, icicles hung from their branches and everything looked stiff. The only sound in the area came from the howling wind, which rustled through the trees, sometimes blowing powdered snow off them. There were no animals to be seen or heard; they were probably hiding in safety, Gilbert figured.

Stepping through the knee-high snow, the red-eyed man inspected every tree he came across. Firstly, he scrubbed the frozen snow off the tree trunks, always hoping to find something that could make the tree special. Secondly, Gilbert inspected the needles. Often, he accidentally moved the branches too much and got loads of thick snow on his head, the stormy wind wasn't helping either. With every hit, the man was more and more discouraged, convinced he was fighting a lost battle.

Gilbert could physically feel how he lost precious time. If he showed up too late to Ludwig's coronation all effort would have been in vain and he had to watch how his little brother would live on without him, or more specifically, how Gilbert would one day never have the chance to see his brother again. Time would pass, and Gilbert would have to continue watching how his brother would grow older and older and then - with assurance- he would witness his brother's death. This was the worst that could happen to him, considering that fate had already separated them from each other once.

Red blood tinted the innocent looking snow, making Gilbert aware of his bleeding fingers. He had scratched too hard, too desperate on the hard texture of the wood in hope to make some unique features visible that weren't there. Tears of hopelessness gathered in the corners of his eyes, the cold making them bite into his skin. He didn't know what hurt more, the fear of losing his brother forever, a reality which came closer and closer with each passing moment, or the hurt of his pride for letting himself cry and the thoughts of giving up.

No, he decided, he would fight to get what he wanted, no power on earth could stop him from reaching his goals. What would Ludwig say if he ever found out that something like doubt had stopped his elder brother, his idol, from them having a happy future together? Gilbert already knew the answer to that, he would be devastated and disillusioned.

And this was something Gilbert kept as priority. Never would he allow his little brother to see him as anything less than awesome. The albino knew he had messed up when he was King, with the whole War of the Kingdoms and all, and that most people, especially the royals from, well, all other Kingdoms were glad he was gone, and trash talked him. He knew that, after having become a Joker with extraordinary powers, he spied on them and might have pranked them a few times for making him look bad. He had always been sneaky and kind of mean, he admitted.

He had never liked the other royal houses either, they were all too stuck up and had looked down on Hearts. So, Gilbert decided to start a little war to make them regret their behaviors. The war went well at first, with many gains on Hearts' side and many losses for the other Kingdoms. Gilbert invaded the sea and occupied it with his ships, keeping the enemy Kingdoms from easy exchange of information and supplies. He positioned bases on the many islands he possessed and supported his troops. He had had only so much success, because his citizens supported him fully, not because he had been the King but rather because they had seen him as someone who would lead them to greatness.

Gilbert broke the traditional lineage of Hearts' Kings with his behavior and dressing style, and mostly boisterous personality, which had showed the people he was special. Not to forget he was an experienced swords man himself and was very talented in combat and warfare, and as such gave them assurance he would fight until the end, even when getting hurt himself.

Oh, how Gilbert had fought with his soldiers, side by side in the front rows. With his black horse, shining armor and gleaming sword he had looked every way like a true soldier king. His people had affectionately given him the name of The Red Savior, whereas in the allied Kingdoms he was known as The Red Devil. The King of Hearts didn't care much for the name from the enemies, he counted on his subjects.

He had conquered much land, from Clubs, Spades and Diamonds, you name it. But when the war was still raging on, Gilbert could feel himself slipping. His health gave away continuously, no doctor he had invited to his palace could determine the reason and all prescribed medications and treatments had failed. When he struggled to even keep his balance when leaning heavily on his cane, his mother had come to him and confined him to bed. Gilbert had never been one to bow to any authority other than himself, he had not ever let his father command him around either, but in this case, he hadn't had the energy to protest.

When the rest of Hearts found out about the King's failing health, motivation and courage seemed to lessen and fade. The citizens' fighting spirit left them, they did not dare to advance any further without their King's support. This made it easier for the allied Kingdoms to put more pressure on the fronts, making the Heart Soldiers lose their positions and be driven back. Especially Clubs' soldiers went aggressively against the Reds, stirring up undefined anger in the heart of the Red King.

 _When Gilbert got the news of his soldiers losing more and more land and fellow men to the Greens, he remembered how he tried to stand up from his bed, but he couldn't do it on his own. This was the moment he realized that he had failed his country. He couldn't protect it and his people would have to bear the consequences of his decisions. He had even been too weak to walk to the door and push down the handle, hell, had his mother not helped him up, even a blanket might have stopped him from setting his feet on the floor._

" _Darling, don't stress yourself! Think of your health!", she told him, trying to pin his arms against the mattress. Gilbert only gave her an annoyed look, which clearly said: Do I look like I care? I have better things to do like, I don't know, saving my Kingdom from eternal demise? But still, his mother did not let him get up. After her husband had left her and her two children, she could not handle another death, especially if it was from her sick son exerting himself and, like most times, overestimating himself. "Everything will be fine, don't worry."_

 _A few weeks later, Clubs' soldiers came to pay him a visit personally. Hearts was as defeated as it could be, and its shores and islands were occupied by the allied Kingdoms. Gilbert was sitting on his throne, ready to throw up, not only from his sickness but also because of the haughty looks on the visiting soldiers' faces. "Our King wishes for an audience with you, your Majesty.", the bearded man stretched out the last word, mocking Gilbert's defeated position further and smirked darkly. The request of being received in audience was only a formality, if he had wanted, Clubs' King could have walked into the hall like he owned the place without breaking any decorum. The King of Hearts gave a weak hand sign and said, hopeful that his voice didn't tremble: "Send him in."_

 _In came a man of enormous build, he was tall and wide, but most of his body consisted of solid muscle. He intimidated almost everyone in a radius of five kilometers with his dark aura. He was dressed in a thick cloak and instead of a crown upon his head, he was wearing a greenish fur cap. Sturdy boots were covering his feet and disappeared underneath the hem of his jacket. His round head sat steadily on his neck, which could not be seen because it was hidden in a crocheted scarf._

 _There were many rumors about the reason he was always wearing this special scarf he never seemed to take off. Some said it was used to hide strangling marks on his neck he did to himself as a young child to escape his insane family. Another speculation was that there was severe frostbite hidden, the wreath of one of Clubs' forest spirits, General Winter. Whatever the rumor, the assumptions were painful to listen to and always alluded to some weird family complex where pain seemed trivial._

 _But Gilbert had no soft spot for King Ivan of Clubs. He hated him to the point of popping veins when he had to see him. Their relation could be traced far back into their childhood years. They were about the same age, Gilbert only one year older. Back in the days during royal gatherings, Gilbert had always made fun of the blond boy for having such a large nose and family issues. He had pranked him a lot, like putting freezing snow in his scarf or bullying his sisters._

 _The King of Hearts knew that he had been a little rascal and was not always very kind to the people around him, but what would you expect of a spoiled child? Even for Gilbert's parents it had been a mystery how he had turned out like that. Though, as a prince he had not lacked any materialistic goods, he had always been quite humble in relation to possessions. Even love he had not lacked. His parents had shown him affection, well his father a little less but even more so his mother, so no one could determine the purpose of such a tactless behavior. Not even years later, Gilbert himself could remember his reasons. However, one thing he knew, he had hated Ivan since the beginning of time and he would never stop making his live miserable._

 _The King of Hearts straightened up in his throne, trying to ignore his protesting back and altogether weak limbs. He had to act powerful and well put-together, especially in front of his nemesis and for his country to be taken seriously, even after a major defeat. Gilbert knew he must have looked like a wreak, he was nothing more than a skeleton dumped on a chair. In the morning he had put on many layers of clothes to hide his fragile appearance, but the hollowness of his cheeks, the heavy bags underneath his eyes and visible faint blue veins under his overall greyish skin revealed his non-existing wellbeing._

 _The man across from him walked over the red carpet towards him, his heavy boots stomping unintentionally on the fabric. Subconsciously, Gilbert clutched his cane, hidden at the left side of his throne under his traditional cape. "Privet, Gilbert.", the blond man said, smiling in his creepy way. He took off his leather gloves and stacked them on each other, a seemingly neutral gesture, but the King of Hearts took it more as a forerunner of what pain would come next, now that Ivan had his hands out._

 _Gilbert swallowed thickly, trying to sound as polite as possible, even when it took all his willpower to do so. "Hello, Ivan. Welcome to my court. Would you like some refreshments?"_

 _Ivan gave him an unreadable look, his purple eyes staring right into Gilbert's red ones. After a few moments, Club's King barked a laugh, his deep voice booming off the walls. "With pleasure and maybe a chair would be comfortable. I'll take that as a sign of respect. You are not known for your politeness, your Majesty."_

" _Neither are you.", the Red King replied with a grin that looked rather forced. He just couldn't help but insult Ivan. It wasn't possible. Anyways, the royal house of Clubs was famous for its strict and mostly violent demeanor. Oh, there were so many stories about abused servants and assaulted maids, the list was endless. "I will of course see to your… request of comfort."_

 _In a matter of seconds, a servant came into the room and positioned a cushioned chair and a small table with arranged tea and biscuits in front of the base of the throne. In moments like these, Gilbert couldn't be more grateful for the considerate actions of his staff. They knew he couldn't get up and walk to the library where Hearts' Kings usually received their guests. Plus, this blank action saved him from embarrassing himself in front of Ivan and showed the foreign King he was not an appreciated guest in the castle._

 _The female servant daintily poured the Kings their teas as Ivan slumped into his seat, arranging his jacket. Gilbert muttered a grateful thank you only the servant could hear, who nodded in return and left the throne room. The sovereigns sipped their teas in silence. Gilbert watched how Ivan jauntily dipped two cookies at once in his tea, the action occupying the big man's whole mind. A scene which looked innocent and care-free made Gilbert even more angry. Ivan did not come to drink tea with him and he was dancing around the subject intentionally. The intention, he figured, was to upset him and make him anxious of Ivan's real reasons he had come to him. It could be anything, Gilbert was politically at his mercy, his country was defeated and its future uncertain._

 _He had to get to the bottom of this as fast as possible. "So," Gilbert started, setting down his teacup on the platter with a soft clink. "What did you want to discuss with me?"_

 _Ivan looked up and smiled slightly, shaking his head. "Always straight to the point. I had hoped we could do a little catching up? You are not looking too well."_

 _The King of Hearts could feel how the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Ivan just knew what to say to upset him. If it wasn't the avoidance of the subject, the last remark about his health definitely did. But before Gilbert could voice his opinion out loud, the man in front of him spoke: "Francis, Arthur and I got the news that your health was failing you. I must admit it was hard to gather such valuable information, but our spies managed quite well, considering that your kingdom is built like a high security fortress. You lost the war because your people are concerned about you, I envy you for it."_

 _The Red King could only stare dumbfounded at him. Ivan, his enemy since childhood days, was jealous of him? Though, he knew was awesome, he could have never expected Ivan to feel the same way about him!_

" _Don't get your ego all inflated, little One. I wish my citizens would follow me blindly and give me their trust. Sadly, no one does. They are scared of me."_

 _I wonder why, Gilbert asked himself, rolling his eyes._

" _But your Kingdom has witnessed its own downfall. You are beaten." Ivan eased back in his chair, interlacing his finger to what he supposed was a diplomatic position. "The allied heads of state, Francis and Arthur mostly, expect you to sign a treaty of defeat. They want you to officially surrender in public."_

 _As he heard that, the albino gripped the arms of his throne so tightly that he could feel all blood draining out of his hands. He had already expected a public embarrassment of this sort, but hearing this fear become reality pushed his anger on a much higher scale. How dare they._

" _But I do not share their point of view. I don't want you to surrender.", Clubs' King said plainly._

" _Why?", Gilbert asked suspiciously. This was just weird even for Ivan; wouldn't he support his public exposure the most?_

" _I know we have had our differences in the past, but I think Hearts and Clubs are meant to work together. Think of all those things our kingdoms have in common."_

 _Now it was the Red King's turn to smirk. "It could not be their demography, their culture and their weather. Our kingdoms differ quite a lot from each other, actually." Two could play the riling-up game. Gilbert knew that Ivan's wounded spot was his kingdom's meager population, harsh weather and overall useless land._

 _Club's King cleared his throat, trying not to strangle the annoying man before him right there and then. "I actually meant our common lineage and ambassadors."_

 _Gilbert blinked surprised: "Has_ Erzsébet _not been kind to you? Doesn't she make just a wonderful Queen? She is so charming and- polite. Oh, and Roderich as your Jack! How could I forget, I bet he made life in your castle much more interesting? With his whole musical talent and… obsessive criticism?" Who was he kidding, he knew exactly that_ Erzsébet _and her lover Roderich could be the most upsetting people on the planet. No wonder Gilbert punished Ivan with them._

 _The King of Clubs nodded. "Yes, they have brought Hearts' culture to Clubs." What an answer was that? What exactly had_ Erzsé _and Roderich taught Ivan about their former home country's culture? When they had dragged it through the mud… No, Roderich as the princess he was, wouldn't want anything to do with dirt, not even metaphorically speaking. "The marriage with your lady has mended the ties between our countries. But I do propose a more practical collaboration, not a symbolic one."_

 _Gilbert shifted in his seat, he did not like in which direction this was going. "Which would be?" He couldn't turn him down in the moment. Angering Ivan could be the full downfall of his Kingdom. Ivan had eaten all cookies, emptying the plate completely. With a motion to the servant from before, Gilbert requested a couple more biscuits and two certain people to join them in the room. The woman nodded and went to fulfill his orders._

 _The King of Clubs took the question as cue to open his jacket and take out a surprisingly un-creased envelope. He opened it up and revealed a neatly-written contract. Meaty hands silently offered Gilbert to take it. Bony white hands closed around the sheet and the Red King began to read it in silence. In this moment, the female servant came back and exchanged the empty plate with a new one full of cookies. What Ivan didn't notice were two men who had entered the throne room with the servant and were now listening carefully, yet inconspicuous to the conversation of the two kings._

 _After he was done, Gilbert looked up neutrally and asked, "So, this contract binds our kingdoms as much as a commonwealth would. Our exchange would be in goods, military supplies and troops, as well as workers."_

 _Ivan nodded in agreement. "Exactly."_

" _Furthermore, tactical actions would be agreed on by the Kings, in this case by you and me. But why would you need the control of the military if you had signed a peace treaty with Diamonds and Spades, and also what I don't get is why I should endanger my own Kingdom with such a stupid proposal?"_

" _Well", Ivan pressed, hoping to change the King of Hearts' opinion. "Your country is defeated and is now at the mercy of Clubs, Spades and Diamonds. I am giving you a chance to lessen Hearts' punishment and give your people a safe future."_

" _Well," Gilbert mirrored him with a lazy smirk. "What would Arthur and Francis think about the close ties between our nations? Wouldn't, or rather shouldn't they be worried?"_

 _Clubs' King started to respond but Gilbert cut him off. "I would be worried if my kingdom was threatened by invasion of the two nations with the biggest military forces. I know you want to gain more land, Ivan, even if your kingdom is already the biggest of them all. Your nation is empty and desolate. You would not stop by the commonwealth. Admit it, you are counting on my death in near future and want me to put my signature at the bottom of this joke of a treaty to empower you to King of Hearts until Ludwig would be old enough to take my place. But who are you kidding? You would kick him off the lineage in an instant, because he would instantly look through the webs of ties between our countries and pose a threat to you by the intention of dissolving the commonwealth. Which would leave you like you are now, without a kingdom of worth."_

 _Ivan only sputtered in response and his expression darkened immensely. When he caught himself, he snarled "You got me there, but you don't know what you've just gotten yourself into…"_

 _Gilbert chuckled, oblivious to the verbal threat. "I know what I have gotten myself into, Ivan. I just exposed your plans of militarily expansionism to the delegates of Diamonds and Spades." He stretched his arm out towards the two men who stood near the door, both holding clipboards and scribbling attentively. "May I present, Mister Roberts and Monsieur Dufaur." The two men looked up at the mention of their names and bowed to Gilbert._

 _Ivan stood up hastily, furious at this outcome of events. He did not expect Gilbert to deceive him so much when he had come in peace and proposed a collaboration which would have helped both kingdoms. The large man glared at the King of Hearts who only smirked at him from the position on his throne. The King of Clubs turned to leave, but the albino called after him._

" _Ivan! Here, you might need this when Diamonds and Spades' detectives come knocking at your door!" He held out the treaty, mocking him further. With great force provoked by his anger, Ivan tore the piece of paper out of the weak hands holding it. "Oh, and Ivan, one tip for the next time you come and try to bribe me into things: I generally don't sign papers that came out of a sweaty man's jacket!"_

Gilbert chuckled at the memory, he had never seen Ivan so angry. But now, he was stuck in that yeti's snowy freezing kingdom, looking for some magical tree his whole future depended on. The man stumped further through the snow, if only magic could help him now. From what Gilbert had gathered about the fir tree, it was much bigger than all other trees in the region and had a purplish-looking stump. Too bad that the snow made his search so much more difficult by covering the whole area.

He stumped his foot and produced a pocket watch in his hand. It was half past ten. He had only two hours left to prepare everything. Where could that tree be? Couldn't it see that it was desperately needed? Stupid plant. Where could he look next? The tree was special and therefore very precious to the people of Clubs. Dammit why hadn't he listened to Erzsébet when she told him about her ride through the mountains of Clubs shortly after she had become Queen?

Wait. There was something. "Come on, brain, work! What did that wild woman tell you?", Gilbert muttered to himself making the clock disappear. Oh, he remembered.

" _And did you know that Clubs has the biggest lakes of all kingdoms? They are just beautiful in winter, I love to go ice skating when they are frozen solid. But the snow also reflects the sun quite aggressively, so I always have to remember to pack in sunscreen for Roddy." the brown-haired woman romanticized the nature of her kingdom, making wild gestures to exemplify the scenery to the King of Hearts who was sitting next to her on a bench in the park of his palace._

 _Gilbert just sighed and picked his teeth in indifference. "Can you please stop annoying me with Bear Ivan's country? Instead, you can tell me how great my own kingdom is!"_

" _Stop being so egoistic, stupid! I am telling you about my new life and you are just- "_

" _As usual?", he suggested with a lack of interest._

" _Exactly." Erzsébet replied dryly, giving him a clout. "But all fun aside, I heard that there is a magical tree in a grot in a mountain cave situated in the north of Clubs. People say, the fir tree sparkles in purple light. But, it only becomes visible to humans who have come out of noble intentions and use its needles for these purposes. Mysterious, right?"_

" _Gosh that sounds so kitschy and girly! I wonder how you used to think you're a boy as a child when you are more feminine than Roder- "_

" _Shut up, mouse brain!", she shouted, smacking the king over the back of his head._

Despite how painful the memory turned out to be for Gilbert, it contained valuable information. "Good that I already am in the north of Clubs. Hm, maybe there is a spell to make a cave visible…", the Joker muttered. With a flick of the wrist and some uncoherent rhymes, a demi-translucent map appeared in the white-haired man's hands. It was showing the area he was in with all mountains and meadows. There, in the north-east was a red spot marking Gilbert's destination. He sighed in relief, touching the dot. The man dissolved into thin dust shortly after.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I'd say: Chapter two, juhuuh!

The same thing for all my stories: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you leave a review in order for me to improve and make suggestions.

See you in the next chapter of Watch Over Me!


	3. Chapter 3

Coughing, Gilbert found himself on his knees in more deep snow. This way of travelling did not prove to be good for his lungs. Anyway, the Joker jumped up and dusted off his clothes, it was high time to find the tree and leave this annoying country. When he was finished, Gilbert smiled brightly. In front of him was a massive hole carved in dark grey stone of a mountain. Careful not to get pierced by the icicles poking randomly out of the entrance, the Joker stepped inside the cave.

The ground was slippery, there was a never-ending cover of thin ice on the stones. Luckily, he was awesome and as such showed the natural floor who was boss. After about fifteen minutes of attentive walking, Gilbert's eyes widened. In front of him was a hollow grot!

A round lake filled with emerald water was occupying most of the area. Gentle waves were washing over the stony shores. The water was reflecting assorted colors from the colorful gems in the high ceiling, illuminating the gloomy room. Moving his eyes to the right, Gilbert gasped. A huge fir tree was standing proudly on a spot of green grass. Its needles were excreting purple sparkles, just like Erzsébet had said!

Feeling slightly humbled in awe, Gilbert stepped closer, wringing his hands. The beauty was hypnotizing. This was his chance, he had found the tree. This was it, this was his ticket to a fulfilled future. The Joker reached out to touch the fragile needles, but suddenly a high-pitched voice interrupted him. With a loud scream of surprise, he fell on his back, the thud was deafened by the grass around the tree.

Before he could catch himself, he felt something buzzing in front of his face. Opening his eyes, Gilbert was shocked yet again.

"What do you think you're doing!? You imbecile!", spoke a small girl with blonde hair, which was tied in a bun. She was wearing a green dress, which, when Gilbert looked closer, resembled a leaf. But the biggest surprise for him were the fragile whitish wings flapping fast on her backside.

"What are you looking at, huh? It's not nice to ogle a woman like that, you know?", her cheeks flushed bright red in anger and she crossed her little arms. Gilbert's own cheeks turned red by the assumption the little fairy had just made. Against all expectations of him, the albino was easily embarrassed when it came to females. They always made him feel awkward. Not so much Erzsé, but it was hard to picture her as a woman.

When Gilbert didn't say anything, a tense silence took over. The two creatures scrutinized each other. The fairy's expression changed from upset to puzzled as she leaned her head to the left. "You are not a real human, are you?", motioning to his horns and devil tail wiggling through the grass.

With an abrupt movement, Gilbert sat up and glared at the girl. "Of course, I am! At least I am more human than _you_!"

The fairy floated away from his face, giving him a little more space. Her lips morphed into a cheeky grin as she clicked her tongue. "Yes, you are, but this is nothing to be proud of!"

The Joker swatted his hand in her direction and stood up, advancing towards the tree. "I don't have time for this, if you would excuse me- "

But the fairy stopped him from touching the magical tree's needles, turning angry again. "That is very rude of you! You can't just come in here and do whatever you want!"

Gilbert tsked and pushed her out of the way. Seeing violence as her last chance, the small being produced a sticky material on the floor, catching the intruder's feet. "Hey!", Gilbert exclaimed angrily.

"Let the tree be, you brute- ", but the fairy stopped talking as she looked on with horror how Gilbert easily dissolved her trap with magic of his own. "How can you- That's impossible!"

"Now look here, fairy…" The girl squeaked when she saw the man advance towards her. He looked every way like an angry, hungry wolf. The man in black grabbed her out of the air, closing his fist around her. "I need those needles and when you fear for your health, you better not cross my path ever again…", he snarled dangerously. Seriously, why did no one ever make it easy for him?

He carried her to the stone wall and plastered her with magic against the board. With a satisfied nod, he turned his attention back on the tree, leaving the fairy to wiggle in her cocoon of webs which stuck like glue to her wings. Even her magic could not free her from that. She screamed and cried. She could not protect the valuable tree from the stranger!

Gilbert examined the leaves not bold enough to touch them. One had to be careful in those matters. What if he accidentally killed the tree? Or did not transport the purple needles properly? All his efforts would have been in vain!

His hesitation calmed the fairy hanging from the wall. She watched him scratch the back of his head and rubbing his face. Sniffling, she tried to build up a conversation. "My name is Tinkerbell, by the way. What's yours?" It was hard to dry her eyes when her arms were also stuck in her prison, so she tried using her shoulder for this purpose.

Gilbert turned his head towards her, mumbling: "Gilbert…" He felt sorry for the thing he did to her, but he had to get those leaves. He just needed peace and quiet for that matter!

Tinkerbell nodded: "That's an unusual name… Though, Arthur once told me about a Gilbert- "

"Arthur who?", he gasped.

"Oh, you know, Spades' Queen…" she blushed hiding her face behind the loose strands that had fallen out of her bun.

" _Arthur?_ ", he asked again incredulously. "That old nut head had always told the truth about his magical friends then?" Gilbert laughed out loud. "That's rich. Everyone labeled him as insane."

"Arthur is not insane!", the fairy defended "We are real! You of all people should know that!"

"I have not always been the Red Joker, alright?", the albino replied grumpily.

"You are a Joker?!", Tinkerbell gasped, that was such an honor! So that was the reason he was so powerful. If she should survive his stay in the grot, she just had to brag about this encounter to her friends! They would be jealous. "But we in Clubs believe in the Black Joker. Are you a foreigner?"

"You could say that. Listen, I heard about having to have good intentions to be allowed to take these needles. I need your help. It is important."

Why did the Joker need her help and why didn't he just conjure whatever he wanted with his magic? Tinkerbell nodded dumbly. "But free me first."

Gilbert sighed but flipped his fingers, dissolving her trap. Happily, the fairy flew towards him and sat down on his shoulder, all fear diminished. "So, what can I help you with?", she asked happily, pedaling her legs.

"I want you to rate my intentions on a scale from one to ten. One is considerate and ten his god-like. Alright?"

Tinkerbell nodded. "I need those needles to put a spell on the four kingdoms. You see, as I became a Joker, I had to leave my brother behind. I found out that Jokers seem to have an eternal life span, which would mean that I'd have to see my little brother die one day. I-I want to keep all royals from dying.", he choked out. This place made him quite mushed. He wondered why he was behaving like a softy all of a sudden.

The fairy grew melancholic. Gilberts could see that she was thinking very hard about his intentions. After a few moments she answered: "This seems kind of selfish. How can you know that this is the best for them?"

"I know. But then they would be forever surrounded by their family and people they love. With people to stand beside you the future doesn't seem so scary and unpredictable anymore. I know what it is like to live in uncertainty."

Tinkerbell felt how Gilbert's shoulders slumped underneath her. "I can see that you've lived through a lot. Tell me one more thing: Are you the former King of Hearts?"

Gilbert just nodded and looked to the floor. "I had to leave my mother and my little brother while the war I caused was raging on. My health was failing me, I never knew when my end would come. I had been sick for two years. I never told anyone what a toll it took on me, I didn't want to worry them. Well, one day, I just woke up and felt alive again. That was the moment I realized that something was different. During the years that passed, I had to watch my little brother grow up without me, he was too young to take the throne. His coronation is in a few hours, actually."

Tinkerbell worriedly wiped away some tears that had gathered in his eyes with a tiny hand. "Today, I watched him how he told a portrait of mine about his fears. He spoke about how much he missed me and how much he needed me. Even though he is twice my size now, I can't help but feel responsible for him. I still have the same need to see to his needs and keep him save. He is my little brother."

A sad smile spread across his face. "I know that my intentions are selfish in reality. I know that. But what should I do? As a big loving brother, I'd do anything to support my sibling. He has no one left. Our mother and father are dead. But still, I beg you, permit me to take some needles.", Gilbert looked directly into her green eyes, his were clouded by tears.

Tinkerbell felt really sorry for him and stroked his white hair affectionately. "You know, being honest is the most noble action of all. You deserve them." Moving her small hands, a dark green bag appeared. Its size was almost only thrice her hands. She held it out to him, expecting him to take it.

Gilbert's eyes widened in disbelief. With utmost care, he took the small velvet bag from her hands and pried it open. There were purple gems inside of it!

"Don't worry, these contain the real magic, we, the fairies of Clubs only trap people with the tree. Take them and use them for noble actions.", the fairy laid her fingers on the back of his hand and smiled at him. "You convinced me of your worth. No matter how much Arthur complained about you, I can see your good soul."

"Thank you." Gilbert replied. As thankful as he was, the information about Arthur angered him a little. Though, he did not let it show on his face.

Tinkerbell got up from his shoulder and floated in the air in front of him. "Tell Arthur hello from me, please."

"I will.", the Joker promised.

"And the next time you come and visit me, bring along the Black Joker, I would like to meet him too!"

Oh, Peter and fairies. What would come out of this? Gilbert nodded and said good-bye. He finally had all ingredients to fill the cauldron! With a euphoric laugh, the Joker disappeared yet once again, leaving Tinkerbell alone in the magical grot with the sparkling tree and gem-reflecting water.

* * *

Anxiously, he wrung his hands. The satin fabric of his white gloves glided through his fingers, nervousness numbing his nerves. What would the people think when they saw their future king being so anxious of a traditional festivity? It was only a coronation, nothing big. At least that was what Ludwig was telling himself as he looked around the decorated ballroom. Banners with the crest of Hearts were proudly on display, curtains were hanging in tidy rows from the ceiling next to the chandeliers.

With a heavy sigh, Ludwig turned his attention to the next royal couple who had taken the opportunity to greet the heir of Hearts. With a tight smile and a respectful bow of his head, the prince thanked them for coming and also for their best wished. How pretentious society was. Smiling and weaving, always being polite and fore coming, this was what he had been told all his life. Never resting, always studying, never angry, always involved but at the same time he should bear a slight air of cool detachment. It was not the first time Ludwig wondered about the sense of it all. What good would the court rules do?

Politeness was like thick paint. It should cover up all personal feelings and opinions, hiding the truth, the reality underneath. No wonder real reforms of rules could never be brought through, when all royals and nobles lied to each other. The people in the lesser social classes always bore the consequences for what their leaders decided. And these people, the ones who were actually in need of reforms to achieve a higher standard of living, depended on the ones in power, who were, how Ludwig noticed with each passing moment in the crowded room, not qualified in the least for the jobs they were born into.

Because of this train of thought, his hands had moved from their clasped position in front of him, to his sides where he balled them into fists. With steel-like eyes, the prince scanned the room, his mouth pressed into a thin line. He knew how important it was to make a good impression, especially on his coronation day, but the lies and exaggerations seemed to thicken the air, gluing his lungs. He had the feeling of choking, of not getting enough oxygen in his system his body was in desperate need of.

Ludwig knew what the people in the room were thinking about him. They had probably gathered their information from messengers or ambassadors, not bothering to getting to know him themselves. To some extent, Ludwig could understand them. They were wary of him, the much-too-serious boy, who was at the same time the little brother of the former king, the one who had dragged the four kingdoms through hell and back. The prince knew he could not just ignore what his brother had done, but he could not be the only one to make the first step to reconciliation. Hearts and the other kingdoms had to work together to make relationships work again.

Erzsébet and Roderich had helped somewhat after the war. By both being Queen and Jack of another kingdom, it was easier for them to be listened to and to be respected by the victors. They had tried to make trade agreements and to renew negotiations, tasks Ludwig had been too young for to do on his own back then. With their support, Hearts had not suffered as much as expected after its defeat. But now, Ludwig was of age and was responsible for his kingdom.

Suddenly, Ludwig was startled by the slightly tanned hand resting on his shoulder. With a twitch, he looked down only to see his Jack Feliciano smiling up at him.

"Are you scared of me, Ludwig?", the shorter man asked slightly apologetic. The blond almost snorted at the absurd question. How could anyone be afraid of Feliciano? The happy-go-lucky, care-free personality the brown-haired man possessed could never scare anyone, least of all Ludwig, who had known him for so long and only knew good things about him. Except for his siestas at any given time and non-efficient "working" methods, he had to work on those.

"No, I am not. I was just thinking about something.", the prince replied neutrally. In most cases his neutral tone of voice rather sounded like an annoyed drill-instructor whose students were incapable of keeping up a good pace at running.

Feliciano looked thoughtful, a very rare sight. He scrunched his eyebrows together and withdrew his hand from Ludwig's shoulder, resting his chin on his palm. The big rose-colored hat dipped slightly over his forehead, plastering his gravity-defying hair curl to the side of his skull. After minutes of silence, he opened his mouth. "Pasta. You are thinking about pasta."

"What- why would I think about pasta?! And most importantly, this was not supposed to be a guessing game!", Ludwig was exasperated. How, just _how_ did this man always come up with such nonsense? On the one hand, it was a good thing, because he freed Ludwig from his solemn train of thought and another good thing was, that Feliciano only had the position of Jack in the kingdom. The blond prince didn't even want to imagine how a kingdom with Feliciano as king would be like, all people would probably be forced to eat pasta for breakfast, lunch and supper. No matter how good the noodles tasted, it would definitely become monotonous after a while. Feliciano would reign with an iron fist up on his pasta throne, punishing traitors mercilessly by feeding them pasta until they admitted their crimes.

"I saw it!", the Jack cried happily, hopping from one foot on the other and clapping his hands in excitement, his hat and curl mirroring his moves.

Ludwig sighed deeply, almost groaning. "What did you see, Feliciano?", he asked annoyed.

With a toothy smile, Feliciano pointed right at his face, almost poking his eyes. "Your smile! I just saw a little weenie tiny smile! You should do that more often!"

Ludwig noticed the attention the loud pasta-lover received and when he received such attention, so did Ludwig as the person the Jack was pointing at. With a swift move, the prince pried the hand out of his face and leaned down so that Feliciano could understand him clearly. He whispered seriously: "Jack, I have a very important task for you. Greet the guests, in particular the three young women in the corner and convince them of Hearts' open policies. Hearts' image is depending on you."

Feliciano hopped slightly, falling into a rigid position. With a salute to the King, the young man said: "The Jack of Hearts at your command!" Then turned around and jumped off the podium, approaching the three giggling females charmingly. "Ciao, bellas!"

Ludwig shook his head in amusement, Feliciano could be such a handful. A subtle cough on his left arose his attention and he came face to face with his Queen. Kiku was dressed in a traditional kimono in warm tones of red. The short, black haired male was as always, the perfect picture of poise and royalty. He was quite shy around strangers and still closed off even when he was in the presence of his friends. But Ludwig wouldn't trade him for no amount of goods in the world, the same with Feliciano. Without the two of them, the young prince didn't know where he would stand that day. They had helped him through a lot.

"Hello, Queen Kiku, where have you been?", he asked politely, nodding with his head. Other than with Feliciano, Ludwig and Kiku kept referring to each other with their titles. Not that they weren't close, but both agreed on it being more professional, especially in public.

The Queen answered sophisticated: "I spent my time holding conversations with the bishop. He informed me about the completed preparations of your coronation in the church."

"I am glad to hear it. I hope everything else is in order."

Kiku nodded quietly, clasping his white hands in front of him. His expression changed as he gave Ludwig an unreadable look. Worry was shining in his eyes but also pride and sadness. The black-haired man could obviously see his future King's missing well-being. Years of tutoring about etiquette and the perfect behavior in public Ludwig had mastered could not deceive him, the embodiment of royalty. Kiku could clearly see through the wall of the tall man beside him, he knew how much he was hurting inside. He was well aware of the toll the title of king-ship took on the blond. In a short amount of years, the Kingdom of Hearts had lost two Kings and one Queen, while at the same time Ludwig had lost three family members who he was very close to.

Some people said that Hearts' throne was cursed and that there was a prediction of madness and waywardness for every future king to follow. Kiku decided that he had to do something to give the blond motivation and to take away at least some of the pain that seemed to follow Ludwig like a dark aura.

"I recommend a last drink as prince, your Majesty. Follow me please." Without waiting for a response, the Queen started walking towards the side of the ballroom, a more isolated location. Ludwig was a little confused by the black-haired man's sudden display of initiative, but followed his Queen without a word. It was nice to step out of the spotlight for a bit, it was calming. In a few minutes, he would stand in the center of the state church and every guest would look at him, anyway.

At an empty table, the Queen motioned for a servant to bring them two drinks. The employee arrived a few seconds later with two glasses and positioned them in front of his sovereigns, who thanked him in return. Ludwig wasn't sure if drinking alcohol at that time of the day would be productive for a positive image, but some alcohol might also calm his nerves. Taking the neck of the glass, the royals clinked them together and each took a small sip.

Moments of silence passed between the two, until Ludwig could not bear the peculiar look on Kiku's face any longer and confronted him. "I am not sure if drinking a glass of wine was your intention, my Queen."

Kiku swallowed and looked the blond straight in the eyes. Leaning into the back of the chair, but still with a rigid spine only Kiku could manage, the man opened his dainty mouth. "Ludwig-san, you do not have to be anxious about what is about to come. Remember, even as King you will still be surrounded by your friends, Feliciano-chan and I, but also by your family."

The prince wasn't sure if he should be more shocked by the content or rather by the blunt manner Kiku, the whitewasher, just uttered these words. Trying to regain his voice, Ludwig responded selectively: "I am aware of your support, even after my coronation. I am thankful."

Kiku shook his head and absently traced his fingers of the tablecloth: "I did not want to be too personal. I am sorry for violating your personal comfort zone. I know you do not like to talk about the past, but I think that talking about what pains you will lessen the hurt and will ease your soul. I saw it as a fitting moment to leave your past behind as prince and start anew with your life as king."

This sounded reasonable and Ludwig felt sorry for shooting down the attempt at comfort, especially from Kiku. "I-I… do want to talk about it now. I guess it will be the best for me to do so."

The raven-haired man across from him smiled, clearly relieved: "If you do not mind, I will take charge of the course of the conversation, so that we can focus on the most important aspects." Kiku did not like being the leader of anything, but he tried to cast his nervousness aside, because he wanted to help Ludwig, one of his few friends. "What was your father to you?"

"Well, in the main part he was my father, my figure of authority. I guess he was the one who showed me what discipline should be like. He was the exact opposite of my mother, who was very loving and caring… Sometimes even a bit overbearing. My father always told her not to mother us as much, but otherwise Gilbert and I might have turned out quite cold and heartless." Rearranging his thoughts, the prince added quietly but clearly: "No matter what other people say, Gilbert was the kindest person on earth, at least to me. And as his little brother, my opinion matters the most."

Kiku agreed understandingly but pressed on. "What… What do you miss about your brother the most?"

Ludwig wanted to go through his hair with his hands, but he knew his pristine look would then be destroyed. After all, he was a perfectionist and cleanliness showed him that everything was in order and that he was in control. "This is a very hard question to answer…" he shook his head and looked longingly into the filled glass of wine his fingers were toying with. "I guess I am missing his smile and his eyes the most. You know, these features reflected his constant energy and optimism. He could be punched in the face but still wear his conceited grin. No matter how bleak times seemed to be, one could never erase the mirth in his eyes."

The red liquid in his glass instantly reminded him of his brother and with little imagination, Ludwig saw Gilbert's blurred face. "Even though I maintained a close relationship with my parents, Gilbert and I were always closer. Even our comparatively big age gap never gave him a reason to look down on me. Actually, he had always been more childish than me and bribed me into doing reckless things with him…"

"Such as…?"

Ludwig snorted, a rarity in his current life. Only seldom he gave himself the freedom of expressing his emotions. Emotions were a sign of hurt he had to cover up. "Oh, there were so many stupid things we did. One time, Gilbert woke me up in the middle of the night and told me he had found the solution of catching ghosts, I feared at that time. We wandered around the castle armed with butterfly nets and cans of flour. Gilbert said that we had to spread flour under every door on the first floor to stop the ghosts from coming. I didn't believe him that this method would work, because ghost could fly, but I trusted him in the end. When we were finished, my brother added that we needed fresh fish to lie in the flour. He had always had a weird obsession with ingredients and whatnot."

"So, we went to the pond in the gardens and used our nets to catch some fish. Because it was very dark outside, I almost fell into the water a few times, but Gilbert always saved me. When we had gathered some fish, we completed our mission and positioned them in the flour. The next day, our mother and father stormed into our rooms and ordered us to clean up the mess we had made. What I didn't expect was the horrible smell that had formed over night and the outraged servants the disgusting odor had woken up in the middle of the night. For this Gilbert was grounded for four months and had to clear out the stables for the same amount of time. While he was punished, I only received a disappointed look from my parents."

Kiku smiled at the brothers' antics. Although it was hard to imagine Ludwig being playful, he knew how much his brother meant to him. "Gilbert will be proud of you, Ludwig-san. He will be glad that the kingdom is run by you. It is obvious that you meant more to him than his own life."

"Your Majesties, the coronation is about to start.", a trusted servant said from the side of the table. Ludwig and Kiku stood up. Smiling to his Queen, Ludwig nodded thankfully, now he was prepared to face his future, whatever it might bring.

The future King found himself in front of the church's huge closed oak door. He knew what would await him on the other side. An expansive room filled with people from all kinds of countries which had come to see him. The choir which would accompany his coronation was so loud, they could also be heard from inside the closed chamber. Muffled voices too, from dignitaries, royals and whatnot. Ludwig sighed, like so many times that day.

Heeled shoes clanked on the carpeted floor, a servant came towards him, her uniform moving flawlessly with her movements. The woman stopped in front of him and bowed deeply. "Your Majesty," she whispered, as if her voice was not wanted in proximity of people who occupied a higher social position than her. 'Who cares about such insignificances?', the crown prince thought as the woman continued: "The bishop gave the signal…"

* * *

Ludwig nodded. The time has come. The guards near the door pushed down the handles and let their prince step inside. The music started to play again, as well as the chant of the choir. Most heads turned towards him, a few curious visitors who had not seen Ludwig before. With long strides the prince stepped towards the gallery, where to bishop stood in front of the altar.

He tried not to move his blue eyes too much around the room, this would just hint nervousness. But he couldn't help but notice that almost all foreign royal family members had followed his invitation. There in the front rows sat the sovereigns of Clubs, Diamonds and Spades, with King Ivan, King Francis and King Alfred. Luckily, Erzsébet, Roderich, Kiku and Feliciano were also present and smiled at him. He knew he could count on them.

Ludwig stopped in front of the old white-haired bishop with the funny hat and bowed. The old man turned towards the audience and said: "We have all gathered here today, to witness the coronation of the new King of Hearts. Many of you might still be suspicious of our beautiful country, but therefore such event is important for the future of all of us." Quiet rumors went through the rows, but Ludwig tried to ignore it. It seemed like he had to have a word with the cleric after the festivities.

The old man took a rich red pillow from one of altar servers and positioned it on the altar. Ludwig saw his gold glimmering crown sparkling in the colorful light of the church's windows. It looked heavier than when he picked it out. A vision of his crown being contained in a glass case flashed before his eyes, a legacy of Hearts' dead kings in the gallery. All had died!

In his trance, he did not notice how the crown was sat on his head by the bishop, whose eyes shone with kindness. The crown was definitely heavier than before!

The next moment, the bishop held another pillow in his arms, offering Ludwig to take orb and scepter. Knowing he had no real choice, the blond took the orb into his left and the scepter into his right hand how it was supposed to be. He turned around to face the audience. To not make any eye contact, he fixed his gaze on the iron heart over to door he had just entered through a few moments before.

He heard the bishop from behind: "With my given power and all might of our god, the Red Joker, it is an honor of the Kingdom of Hearts and our neighbors to welcome our new king…" What no one inside the room saw, was the red smoke which climbed up the paste white walls of the church, nearing the large windows. With each spoken word of the bishop, the red cloud became thicker and denser, the color growing darker.

"King Ludwig of Hearts!" In this instant the windows rattled until they broke, cutting shards flew through the air as the gathered people panicked and tried to stand up and leave their seats to hide. An undescriptive wave of energy captured the furniture and decorations of the hall, smashing them against the stone walls. In the eye of the storm stood the new King of Hearts, unharmed.

As fast as it had come, the red sparkling smoke disappeared slowly into thin air, while the attendants helped each other up. Guards came rushing in and evacuated the people, securing the broken windows and also gathered the last remains of the peculiar smoke.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Well hello there! Do you like this story? If yes, why don't you leave a review? And if not, you can tell me what to improve.

I don't have much to say about this chapter soo... bye!


	4. Chapter 4

Like he had promised in the morning, Ludwig went back to the crown gallery after the last dignitaries had bidden him goodnight. The invited guests were exhausted from their voyages to his kingdom, as well as the uproar of his coronation and the worries the so-called "Royal Attack" had caused. Ludwig still wondered who would possess the audacity to attack him.

Why would anyone want to kick him from the Throne of Hearts he had been about to ascend? The people, lest of all potential terrorists, had never met or yet seen him before! And the current King of Hearts could not imagine his most trusted servants or relatives for that matter betray him. The insecurity and un-known source of the peculiar red smoke wrecked his mind, he was so confused and even a little scared. Luckily, no one got hurt and the chapel was not severely damaged. All would be fine, at least that was what he kept telling himself.

The blond king rounded a few corners and roamed the halls until he stood in front of the same heavy doors from before. But now, he was not all too nervous about seeing his ancestors' portraits and crowns. He was one of them now and as such, he demanded just as much respect. But the actual reason he entered the secluded room was to pour his heart out. They were very good listeners.

The man stepped inside and as a contrast to his visit from the last morning, he was more exhausted and disheveled. He had never felt so worn-out. Moonlight streamed through the huge glass windows and bright stars sparkled in the dark night sky. Ludwig wondered about the time, it must have been around five in the morning, but he couldn't sleep. He moved much slower to the glass container at the far end of the room. The special dark spiked crown was still there.

The current King of Hearts flopped on the stony floor without much care. No one was there to scold him about sitting on the bare ground like a peasant and as king, people couldn't order him around anyway. With more self-confidence he started to accept his new position of power and felt it fit him quite well.

Glancing up, he looked into the painted face of his pale deceased brother. It seemed to Ludwig that Gilbert looked prouder on the portrait than he remembered. His brother's thin lips were stretched just a little farther over his feral teeth, pushing up the skin of his cheeks which reduced the sized of the white in his eyes. Still, his blood-red irises were clearly visible and almost gleaming with mirth.

This was the brother he knew and who always made him smile. Subconsciously, the corners of Ludwig's mouth turned upwards too as he gazed at his brother's portrait. People might think he was crazy for considering if the painting was alive, but every time Ludwig had been in the room his brother had never looked so _vivacious_. The King internally slapped himself for having such thoughts, magic was as rare as finding a walking bagel on the streets.

Ludwig shook his head, the walking bagel only existed in a traditional fairytale, "Bagelini and his Friends" to be exact. Even as a child he had not liked the story his mother had kept on telling him for bed. Too much drama and violence like most tales from Hearts. In secret, Ludwig had always preferred the ones from Diamonds and Spades. Those were funny and bright and still contained valuable life lessons for children. Clearly out of the race were stories from Clubs. Everyone always died and there would be much blood and spilled guts. Figures, he had never liked stories related to death.

This thought made him look back at the portrait he was sitting in front of and the purpose of him being there came back to him. Clearing his throat, he started to tell his brother about his coronation.

"I wasn't as nervous as I had thought. It was quite alright, I guess. The conversation I had with Kiku before the coronation helped the most. I thought of our schemes as children and about how much fun we had together. I noticed that after your death I became much more closed-off. You see, with you I not only lost my big brother but also my closest friend. Feliciano and Kiku can never replace you by filling the deep crevice your death has beaten into my heart. It can never be whole again without you, brother, not until I see you again."

"But let's be realistic, you- you are not going to come back anytime soon…" he chuckled sadly "You are never coming back to me. I don't want to bother you with that again, so I will get a move on and tell you about the important stuff from today, yesterday to be exact. So, I stepped inside the chapel and walked to the front, everyone was watching me, but I didn't show them how I really felt in that moment. I tried to be strong, this is what you would have wanted. To be honest, I blocked out the masses of people and just went to the bishop. Then, he placed the crown on my head…"

Ludwig trailed off as he took the imposing jewelry from his head. He stroked the fur line with his gloved thumb before he placed it with great care on the floor in front of the portrait. "I hope you like it. I didn't have much choice with the design. Many of my advisors told me to choose a traditional one. They didn't want me to give the impression that I supported anything you had done. And considering that your crown is quite special…" he gazed at the dark crown of his predecessor, completed with dark metal and spikes.

"Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter which crown I wear as long as I do my job correctly. Many people are depending on me! Anyway, as soon as I took the orb and scepter and the bishop started talking, something outside broke the windows and dark red smoked poured inside! A shock wave went through the rows and the visitors were blown off their seats! Can you imagine that? My guards are suspecting a terror attack or a tried assassination, but the attackers' plan didn't work, since I was the only person who was completely unharmed! I don't know what happened back there, but I never want to endure something like that ever again. It was horrible."

"My scientists have already taken samples of the smoke, but they couldn't detect anything. I am seriously worried, what have I done to deserve this? Does someone want to get revenge on me for something you- I mean, father could have been the reason too, don't take this personally, please- did? Or thoughts of revolution to abolish the monarchy? How would Clubs, Diamonds and Spades handle the spreading wish for freedom?" Beads of sweat formed over his brow and Ludwig took off his silk gloves and loosened his collar to escape the increasing heat gathering in his stuffy clothes.

"But, according to my scientists, the smoke was harmless. Utterly harmless…", the King repeated. "The burst of energy is what worries me the most. There were reports that even in the outskirts of Clubs the wave could be felt. All points to the source of the ejaculation having been in a spot right in front of the chapel. However, investigators told me that they couldn't find anything. It's like magic! I know I sound foolish, but… I seriously believe it. Keep in mind that this is coming from the most rational person I know."

He fell silent and crossed his legs, lying his exhausted arms in his lap. The King gazed around, and his eyes wandered over the countless portraits and crown in the room. As soon as his head returned to his brother's portrait. He blinked. Something was definitely off.

The white-haired man was now sitting straight on his throne, his legs un-crossed. And where was the scepter he had been holding? Ludwig rubbed his eyes in confusion, he was probably dreaming, he only lacked sleep. Suddenly, the moment he looked up again, his brother was standing, his arms stretched out so that it looked like he was touching the picture frame.

With a scream, Ludwig toppled over and fell on his back. This shocked reception aroused a reaction from the painted man, whose expression changed to serious concern and embarrassment. "I didn't mean to scare you!", he told the anxious king.

The King of Hearts was blaring in shock and desperately trying to stand up, but got unsophisticatedly stuck in his long cape, so that he was aimlessly kicking on the floor. The painted version of the former King of Hearts moved again but this time to the side of the frame, mumbling words which sounded like: "Damn, now he is scared. I didn't plan for that to happen…"

Ludwig watched in horror as the painted man sprang out of the picture and materialized in a much taller form in front of him. Gilbert brushed off the red smoke which always appeared when he used his magic, sometimes it was quite annoying he admitted. Ludwig was too fazed to notice the familiar smoke, his attention was fixed on the horned pale man in the black gothic-like clothes, who possessed a devil tail which swung from side to side from his backside.

Noticing that his appearance had only put Ludwig in an unmoving position, Gilbert crouched down and stuck out a pale hand towards the King, who only looked at it not understanding its purpose. "C'mon, Lud, take it! I am no stranger to you!", the albino urged, slowly loosing his confidence. Cursing his unsensitiveness and sensing that his offer got him nowhere, he stood up again and went to the side of the room, Ludwig's eyes never leaving him.

He produced a lounge complete with a coffee table and biscuits. He faced his brother who was still regarding him with as much suspicion as he could muster from his position on the floor. "Don't look at me like that! I am not here to hurt you, Luddy!"

Finally, the blond reacted a little. "Luddy?", he breathed, clearly confused and shaken. After a beat he tentatively asked: "Gilbert?"

The man standing in front of the newly created couch shook his head in amusement and chuckled. "Yes, it's me. Now come here and drink some tea with your big brother."

The King was frigid and stiff as he walked to the other man and flopped on the cushion like a rock, muttering under his breath: "This is just a dream, just a dream. Or a nightmare?"

The Joker ignored the comment, he knew what he had to do. With swift moves of his hands, he produced two cups of tea, the black one without sugar he held out for Ludwig to take. The blond hesitated but then took a small sip. 'This should be enough.', Gilbert thought 'The drink should only lessen his fear and make him relax.'

He waited a few seconds for his magic to work and saw how Ludwig's shoulders visibly relaxed as they slumped. The blond sighed deeply and shook his head in an attempt to catch himself. Surprisingly, it was the younger of the men who began to talk: "So, let's just imagine this is real and you really are my _deceased_ brother. How can it be that you are alive?"

Gilbert chuckled, there was no beating around the bush with his brother. "Well", he started "as you might remember I was severely sick for quite a long time when you were younger. The day- I really don't know if you remember this but- the last evening we spend together…" He trailed off, remembering the last moment he could hold his little brother without having a sentimental break-down was more difficult than he thought. He sighed deeply and inhaled the stuffy air contained inside the room. "I am sorry, I can't function without fresh air."

Ludwig nodded and looked on as the man next to him opened up the windows on the other side of the room with a flick of the wrist. "The red smoke…", he had finally pieced the events at his coronation together with the appearance of the strange man. He couldn't believe that the white-haired man who claimed to be his brother, told the truth. In contrast to how feeble and scrawny he remembered his brother to be, this man looked healthy and strong, a little battered maybe but this could be due to his mental distress at the moment.

The man turned back to him again, his red eyes looking pleadingly at him and reached out to hold his hand, which Ludwig was too slow to pull away. "Please remember me…" There was so much hope shining in those eyes, rimmed with tears which the man clothed in black was too proud to let fall. At the same time, they looked anxious, fearful but they also contained so much love at the same time.

Ludwig searched for the correct words to say: "I-I would be so happy if it were really you, brother. But how can I believe that when I have got no proof? I need something which makes me believe in you, with the whole magic going on I am kind of overstrained."

"Of course, how foolish of me. You have always been the realist." Gilbert looked away for a second still clutching his brother's hand, before returning his eyes on his face. "You know, I have waited so long for this moment to arrive and I just want to crush you in a hug.", he blurted. Then he mustered the king up and down and chuckled, "Though, from the looks of it, it would rather be you crushing me than the other way around."

Ludwig chuckled too, covering his mouth with his free hand. "Then let's see if I really crush you…" The Joker blinked comically and then jumped into his brother's open arms. The two held on to another. With passing seconds both of their embraces tightened almost obsessively. Ludwig breathed in his brother's smell, he still scented like metal, only the smoke odor was new. This was familiar, this was _home_.

He thought of the countless times Gilbert had hugged him and helped him out of seemingly inescapable situations, even when it meant endangering himself. He tightened his brace even more, not believing that his brother was real and had a physical form still. He had a body he could finally hold onto again. In the next second, he broke down sobbing, wetting the unearthly fabric Gilbert's jacket was made of.

Gilbert patted his back, trying to comfort him even when he himself could not wrap his head around that this moment was indeed reality. Ludwig still smelled like detergent and mint, just like when he was a little boy. The tears he had not let fallen, were now streaming freely over his cheeks. "Do you believe in me now?"

He got a croaked muffled reply its message was clear nonetheless: "Yes, yes I do. I am so happy you are here with me."

Gilbert nodded and loosened the hug, leaning back against the cushion of the lounge, but never letting go off Ludwig's hand: "I guess, now that you know it's me, I can tell you the story of how I became the Red Joker."

"The what?!", the King started but Gilbert silenced him with a serious look.

"It his hard to comprehend that your brother became a god which your kingdom believes in, but please let me explain."

The blond nodded overwhelmed: "Yes, go ahead. It can't get any weirder."

The Joker sighed: "It all started with my sickness. I became weaker and weaker and I knew I wouldn't have much time left. I tried to regulate things with the other kingdoms after the war was as good as lost, so that you wouldn't have much trouble with it. Then, one evening, I just knew it would be my last one. The disease has spread so much in my body and I only had one thing on my mind: to escape. I felt trapped in the castle and you know that people can become crazy when they are sick, and their lives are about to end. I said farewell to mother and told her she should not be too sad when I am gone. She should only focus on you from then on. She just accepted it and hugged me, told me she was proud of me despite my territorial ambitions which had cost countless soldiers and civilians their lives, or whatever."

"You were the last person I wanted to say goodbye to. I wanted you to be the last person on my mind before my death because you have always been the most important to me. I hugged you one last time, on my bed remember? And when you thought I had fallen asleep and left, I stood up and went to the balcony. It was deep at night, so I was not easily seen. I am not sure how it was possible for me to climb down the banister and flee into the woods in my physical condition, but I guess that was when my transformation had already kicked in. I remember falling on the ground next to a very old tree and then passing out. I thought that was what dying felt like, a cramp and physical pain, like your limps were being ripped out, and then falling into blackness because the hurt is too much for your feeble brain to handle."

Gilbert looked at his brother whose face was concerted as if he was experiencing the pain he had told him about. "The next morning, I woke up and felt _alive_ again! I was active, I was not restricted to the limits of my sick body anymore. It felt like, like I weighed nothing, as if my soul and body were not connected anymore. Sometimes, I still get this feeling."

"After I got used to this new feeling and being alive for that matter, I started to question my existence. Why was I alive and not dead? Why had death not tightened its cold bony hand on my shoulder and shoved me into oblivion? Why did I have horns and a tail? The day after, I realized that my hands sparkled deep red. I almost panicked, I thought I was on fire. But that wasn't the only thing that was off. Weird creatures came out of the woods, I had never seen before. For instance, winged women and colorful deer, magical beings to be precise."

The Red Joker laughed: "My contact with magic was much more dramatic than yours from before! I screamed and screamed, I ran through the forests aimlessly and thus almost fell off a cliff. What am I saying, I fell face first into the abyss! Then, suddenly, I was flying."

"Days passed, and I noticed more peculiar things. I had magic and could conjure anything I wanted. But the scariest thing was that I couldn't die. I didn't even age."

The Joker's face grew serious, his mouth set in a thin line as he regarded his brother. "You were wondering about what happened at your coronation yesterday, correct? I can explain it to you. I had found out that I was a Joker and that I could only be seen by the members of the royal families of Hearts, Diamonds, Spades and Clubs. It is a Joker's job to speak to the kings of each kingdom to ensure balance. Well and only because Hearts and Diamonds believe in the Red Joker I am able to talk to you and Francis, eventually. You see as soon as you were crowned king I wasn't able to show myself to you. Now comes the thing with being immortal… I didn't want to see how you would pass away in front of my eyes because then I would be alone forever, the time we were apart was hard enough for me already. With the explosion a mixture of one of my spells was cast over you and the royals from the other kingdoms, which made you immortal too.", he informed his little brother skittishly.

Ludwig stared at him with open eyes. "You- you _what_?!", he asked incredulously. "How could you?!"

"Here, take this and cut yourself." Gilbert gave him a very sharp knife out of thin air. The King took it, he didn't want to use it, but his curiosity won the conflict going on in his mind. He moved the blade over the exposed skin of his forearm, though nothing happened. Instead of a stream of blood there was only the unharmed pink tone of his skin. "I can't believe this. I can't imagine not to die… Everyone else had died." The tall man glanced at the crowns which stood silently in the room. "Does that mean that I will be the eternal King of Hearts?" Gilbert confirmed his question with a stark nod.

"I have to wrap my head around that first. This is going to take a while to accept. I guess it's fine as long as we can see each other again."

"Why did you make your mixture explode so close to the chapel? There must have been another way. And the other royals won't die either, right?", the king pressed on.

"Yes, they won't die either. As much as I would wish death upon Ivan I had to make him immortal too to keep the kingdoms in balance." The Joker smirked "But this gives me more time and many more opportunities to annoy him and set him traps. For eternity. And for the explosion, well I wanted to give the other royals the impression that you are something special, that they shouldn't mess with you and subtly, when they are messing with you, they are directly messing with _me_."

"That- sounds comforting. I am glad that I won't have to say goodbye to Feliciano, Kiku, Erzsébet and Roderich."

The two fell into silence, while Ludwig positioned the long knife on the small coffee table. "What will the future hold for us?"

"I can't tell you that, because I am just as much in the dark as I used to be and just as much you are now. Although, I am sure about one thing…"

"Which is…?"

"That we will face the future together." Ludwig smiled, clearly touched.

However, as it was Gilbert he was talking with the white-haired man had something to add to lessen the atmosphere charged with emotion: "Remember, I can materialize next to you at any given moment, whenever I want to. I could appear in the mirror when you're brushing your teeth, or I can hex your slippers when you want to take them off."

"That doesn't sound as comforting now."

Suddenly, Gilbert stood up and walked over to the shrine his former crown was contained in, looking at it in wonder and touched the cold glass with great care. "Well, King Ludwig, I wish you the best. I hope that you will bring Hearts to greatness because it deserves so much more. I believe in you."

The taller blond man came up to him from behind and hugged the pale Joker, murmuring a deep "Thank you so much, brother. I love you."

Gilbert hugged one of the muscled arms wrapped around his torso. "I love you too. But, now listen, big guy, I know that you are your own king now, but even you cannot expect to function properly without much needed sleep. It's already seven o'clock in the morning, you should go to bed."

Ludwig let go off him and took a shocked step back panicking. "I've had no sleep! I haven't slept in two days straight!" He disheveled his already messy hair even more, which made him look like a haunted rabbit.

Gilbert took a lazy step forward and spoke softly: "Now comes the benefit of being the little brother of the Red Joker, who can turn back time for a few hours." The room started to spin suddenly underneath their feet and then halted.

Ludwig glanced at the grandfather clock at the end of the hall, which read twelve o'clock. "What?" he breathed.

"Now hop, hop into bed with you.", Gilbert smiled.

"Will you be there when I wake up?", the little brother asked hopefully.

"Of course, I will always be there when you need me, as a big brother and as a Joker." The pale man bowed, "Now, please excuse me, there is a little boy awaiting anxiously my return.", he told him cockily.

Ludwig's brows almost touched his hairline. "What boy?"

"No need to be jealous, little bro. It's the Black Joker, of course.", the Red Joker chuckled while going over to the window he had opened quite some time ago and sat on the windowsill. "See you later, Lud." Flashing a smile, he then turned into red smoke and dissolved into the nightly sky.

The King ran over to the window and steadied his arms on its frame: "See you later, brother.", he said and genuinely grinned for the first time in years.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This is it, guys! We made it to the end of the story! I hope you liked it and maybe write reviews.

I was thinking about writing other stories in Cardverse about the different royal houses. Maybe about Arthur and Alfred? Not as a pairing, of course. Though, I might need more encouragement for that. XD Thank you for reading and have a great day!


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